Ford Barraged by C-Max Hybrid MPG Claims

First Hyundai and Kia suffered the slings and arrows of overestimated fuel economy figures, and now Ford is taking heat over the efficiency claims of their C-Max Hybrid—but this time, the real world discrepancies are considerable.

The buzzkill for Ford is huge: The C-Max has gone from being the quickest selling hybrid in history to becoming a poster child for inaccurate fuel economy claims. Even automotive journalists are disgruntled over the real world MPG numbers produced by the small hatchback. Automotive News scribe Larry P. Vellequette reports an average indicated 35.5 mpg on his personal C-Max, while Consumer Reports says the 20 percent difference they've witnessed between published numbers and actual MPGs is the largest discrepancy they've measured in any current model.

While a recent class-action lawsuit is—ahem—fueling further woes for Ford, the Blue Oval's biggest challenge will be restoring credibility among potential buyers.